Saudi Arabia seeks action against Iran after oil attack, allies wary – World

Saudi Arabia will seek to present a case at a world meeting in New York this week for concerted action to punish and deter the arch-enemy Iran after attacks on Saudi oil plants shook world markets and exposed the kingdom's vulnerability to attacks.

However, even the main allies of Riyadh, the United States and the United Arab Emirates, have little appetite for a conventional military confrontation that can trigger a war in the Gulf and attract other oil producers, diplomats say.

While trying to build a coalition, Riyadh is preparing to provide evidence to the UN General Assembly that, he says, will show that Iran was behind the attack with drones and missiles on September 14 that initially drastically affected its production of oil, an opinion shared by Washington. Riyadh says that Iranian weapons were launched from the north and that it is working to determine the exact location.

Iran has denied any participation and promised to retaliate even against a limited military response. He has criticized the accusations as part of a "maximum pressure" campaign launched by President Donald Trump over Tehran after he resigned from a 2015 nuclear pact last year and extended the sanctions to stifle Iran's oil exports. Riyadh wants to see more punitive actions from the international community.

“This attack is a turning point. Saudi Arabia will argue that this was a devastating blow and a continuing threat to the world economy, "said a source from the Persian Gulf Reuters on Sunday.

"If Saudi Arabia can prove without reasonable doubt that Iran was behind it, then the world powers could exert their influence: their pressure, their commercial tools, driving Iran away from its risk policy," the source said.

Before the UN General Assembly, Riyadh says he wants a peaceful resolution, but if the investigation showed that the attack came from Iran, "this would be considered an act of war."

Iranian security proposal

In Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that he will present at the General Assembly a plan to "create security" in the Gulf in cooperation with other regional nations, without providing further details.

It is likely that concrete evidence on the responsibility of the last attack with drones is crucial to overcome the reserves of European and other powers, which were largely reluctant to join a US-led maritime security coalition . UU. I ran Tehran has also denied its participation in these strikes.

The September 14 attack "was a great escalation, there is a clear problem. But it is a real dilemma of how to react without further escalation," said a Western diplomat. "It is still unclear what the United States wants to do."

France, which is trying to save the nuclear deal as Iran reduces its commitments, has urged the scale to be reduced. China and Russia, which have vetoes in the UN Security Council, have warned against the attribution of guilt without providing evidence.

Have a look: France says & # 39; doesn't need permission & # 39; for dialogue with Iran after Trump hit

There are divisions between the Arab states of the Gulf. Riyadh and its allies are locked in a dispute with Qatar that has destroyed a military, political and economic alliance of the Gulf.

Differences have also emerged between the Riyadh and Abu Dhabi allies, Saudi Arabia's main partner in the military coalition fighting in Yemen, after the United Arab Emirates reduced its participation in the war in June and moderated its tone towards Iran.

The senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Emirati, Anwar Gargash, said that the UAE in New York "will emphasize the primacy of diplomacy."

The United States has also sent mixed signals.

Trump, who ordered more sanctions and approved the sending of US troops to reinforce Saudi defenses, initially stated that Washington was "locked and charged" to respond, then said there were options below the war. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that the United States was looking to build a coalition to achieve a peaceful resolution.

The Pentagon said Friday it will send more troops to Saudi Arabia and accelerate the delivery of military equipment to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after the attack exposed serious gaps in Saudi air defenses. Rouhani said the presence of foreign forces in the region would create insecurity for oil and maritime transport.

"I doubt anyone has the appetite for a direct confrontation between the United States and Iran," said Barbara A. Leaf, who was a US ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 2014-2018 and is now a member of the Cercano Policy Institute East of Washington

“It really requires restoring deterrence. There is clearly none now, "he told Reuters." It really depends on the administration … being free of purpose and intention. "